There are numerous situations in which it is desirable to be able to deploy a line, such as a rope or a cord, over a distance and in a controllable fashion. For instance, during a water-rescue attempt a rescuer must be able to deploy a line with a high degree of accuracy and reliability, so that a person in the water can grasp onto the line and be pulled back to safety. It is also advantageous to provide a flotation device to the person in the water, in order to at least partially support that person in the water and thereby facilitate the rescue. Desirable features of a water rescue device include: buoyancy; accuracy and reach during deployment; compact size and easy to use; does not dive during rescue retrieval; constructed of materials that are not likely to cause injury to the person in the water and may be easily gripped; etc.
Although a wide variety of water rescue devices are known in the art, none are considered to be entirely satisfactory. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,562,512 and 5,895,299 describe flying rescue discs with retrieval line retention and deployment features that are disposed on or about the outside periphery of the disc. WO 02/26557 describes another flying rescue disc, in which the retrieval line is wound within an internal compartment opening to the underside of the disc. DE 30 10 529 describes a flying rescue disc in which the retrieval line is wound within a rectangular-shaped channel extending around the periphery of the disc. In each case, the disc is thrown with a rotational motion such that the line that is wound around the disc is caused to deploy while the disc is in flight. After the disc lands in the water, the person that is being rescued grasps onto the line and/or the disc and is pulled to safety.
Unfortunately, each of the above-mentioned devices employs a line deploying system that may lead to the line becoming tangled as it deploys, thereby reducing both reliability and accuracy. A common feature of these devices is a circumferential channel, which is defined by grooves or flanges extending around the periphery of the disc, for retaining the retrieval line before it is deployed. The width of the circumferential channel, in each case, is constant or increases along a radial inward direction from the edge of the disc toward the center of the disc. Further, the width of the channel is sufficient to allow successive turns of the retrieval line to be wound side-by-side, even at the base of the channel. Unless considerable care is exercised when the retrieval line is being wound around the disc, it is possible that the turns of the retrieval line will overlap one another in such a way that some of the turns prevent other turns from unwinding when the line is subsequently deployed. When this happens, the disc is likely to either fall short of its intended target or fly off course, in either case reducing deployment accuracy and therefore jeopardizing the safety of the person in the water.
A further drawback associated with the above-mentioned devices is that the circumferential channel, which retains the retrieval line, does not guide the deployment of the retrieval line along substantially the mid-plane of disc. That is to say, the circumferential channel of the prior art devices are displaced away from the mid-plane of the disc and/or the width of the circumferential channel is constant. As a result, the prior art devices are prone to wobbling during flight, and additionally they must be thrown with the correct end surface facing up. Further, the devices may be prone to diving during retrieval, due to the asymmetric placement of the channel and therefore the asymmetric attachment of the line to the device.
Of course, there are other situations in which it is also desirable to be able to deploy a line with similar accuracy and reliability. For instance, it is often necessary to toss a line from a boat to a person that is standing on a dock, or to toss a tie-down line over the top of a load that is being secured in the bed of a trailer or a truck. It is common, in such non-emergency situations, to improvise by simply “balling up” the line and heaving it generally in the direction of an intended recipient. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, then the line is retrieved and another attempt is made. Of course, such a trial and error approach is time-consuming and leads to frustration if success is not achieved after a few attempts.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide an apparatus for deploying a line for water rescues and for other situations, which overcomes at least some above-mentioned limitations of the prior art devices.